Rewrite the history books: the Kraft Nabisco Championship has a new teen winnah

Fellow blogger Shanks once famously claimed: “There’s no chance this year’s Kraft Nabisco will equal the drama of 2006.” Actually, he said it a couple of days ago on my blog.

Regardless, if he watched today’s exciting finish, he knows it’s time to rethink his position. The final few holes in today’s fourth round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship had all the drama of last year, plus a little something extra: history in the making.

Lorena Ochoa was hanging in there quite nicely, doing her part to make my predictive powers look genius, until her quadruple-bogey choke yesterday on 17. But she wasn’t the only one to Ochoke. Se Ri Pak started out Sunday?s round with a share of the lead at 4 under, but ended the day at one over. Paula Creamer did even worse, tacking six strokes to today’s score.

But the biggest choke of all was reserved for Norwegian Suzann Pettersen. At 6-under with four holes to play, Pettersen was three strokes ahead of clubhouse leader Morgan Pressel. It looked like the Oslo native had the trophy in the bag.

But when the tournament’s yours to lose, sometimes that’s exactly what you do. She went bogey, double, bogey to move to -2, with one hole and one stroke to make it into a playoff. After all that golf, it all still came down to just one hole.

Pettersen managed to get her third shot safely on the island green of the long par-5, but then had an overly long wait when her playing partner, Se Ri ?Ice? Pak, now well out of contention, hit into the water and called for a ruling. When Pettersen finally got her chance, she just missed the birdie putt. She?d have to settle for par and a tie for second.

And just like that, we have to rewrite the record books to accommodate the youngest player (and first teenager) ever to win an LPGA major. That?d be Miss Morgan Pressel–a first-time winner at that–at 18 years, 10 months, and 22 days old.

15 comments

Oh yeah, there was drama - just not the equal of 2006 to my way of thinking. I say that for the same reason that I called last year's KN the best finish of any tournament when many others were calling the men's US Open the best. Webb, Ochoa & Wie were trying to out-duel each other. I prefer those type finishes where the participants are making pars & birdies, as opposed to pars, bogies & worse. Yes, this year's KN had a dramatic and historical finish for young Pressel, but it seemed more like a NASCAR race where many crashes dominated the results. Not my fave.

Maybe some people enjoy watching train-wreck style situations, but I did not enjoy watching Pettersen fall apart, Pak fall apart and Matthew fall apart, and then the title been handed to someone who did not make any crucial putts knowing they were crucial putts.

When Morgan knocked in the putt on 18, she would have thought it would give her 2nd at best. She may have thought that if lots of people choked she may just make a playoff. Not in her wildest dreams would she have imagined what happened. That meant that she didn't face the pressure over that putt that she would have faced knowing it was for a win.

Stanley... why dont you give Morgan her due.
So, everyone that bogeyed the 18th, "fell apart"? Face it, Petterson had her 2 over
round on Sunday and Pressel had hers on Thursday. It sounds like sour grapes to me.

I think Morgan's win has put more pressure on Team Wie's endeavor to make-the-cut and/or win a PGA event.

Now that Morgan (CONGRADULATIONS!) is the youngest woman to win a major at around 18years 10months, Michelle at age 17years 5months would have less than 1year and 5months-ish to top her. If someone knows the actual math, please share :)

The countdown has begun...

Granted it should be more than enough time for the amazingly talented Michelle to accomplish (with one arm tied behind her back, and the other accepting endorsement checks), one wonders if the pressure may amount to be too much.

Nevertheless, Michelle's comeback will be in a far different world than it was when she pulled out for injury.

Morgan produced the best final round of the day and the field came back to her ala Geoff Ogilvy at last seasons US Open. She posted the low score of the day and stayed warmed up for a playoff until the pressure got to the leader.

She will win many more events if she continues to place herself in a position to win.

Morgan did not overpower the golf course, but kept her ball in play and gave herself some great angles into the pin placements.

A bogey free round at any Major Championship is a great accomplishment.

Jennifer, I noticed from your column that you've been running. Morgan Pressel's performance shows the importance of negative splits - as important in golf as in racing. An excellent performance from a strong young athlete.

Now, if only I can work out my own negative splits. Why is it that every time I get a nice low 40s on the front 9, my back 9 is a total disaster?

Jennifer Mario, author of “Michelle Wie: The Making of a Champion,” blogs for TravelGolf.com about LPGA Tour stars such as Wie and Annika Sorenstam. She also follows the PGA and writes about golf equipment, kids golf, resorts, and more.

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